Press releases

12.06.2019

One trade show, all the facts: opti is the perfect start

opti marks the start of a new year for the optical industry. The next International Trade Show for Optics & Design will take place from 10th to 12th January 2020 at Fairground Munich, once again spanning six halls – and the offering for trade visitors to opti 2020 remains one thing above all else: comprehensive.

Glasses, contact lenses, spectacle frames, refraction, diagnostics, low vision, machines, raw materials, hearing aids and audiology, shop fittings, accessories and offerings in the field of further education and knowledge transfer: visitors to opti, which will take place at Fairground Munich from 10th to 12th January 2020, will receive everything they need for a successful year of business already in the first month.

“It is the perfect start to the year, bringing the entire industry together, which looks forward to it with anticipation,” says Dieter Dohr, chairman of the GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. This is felt in the special atmosphere across the six exhibition halls as companies present their new products and fresh collections for the first time in the new year and opticians, buyers and contact lenses specialists look out for upcoming trends.

Experience innovations, expand KnowledgeAnd yet opti is more than a product showcase and stage for stars and start-ups. Alongside innovations in the fields of technology and design, it also offers the opportunity to build meaningful new connections and gather information. “It is as a trade show should be: innovations are unveiled, breathing new life into the industry,” says project manager Bettina Reiter. In addition to the exhibitors, this is ensured by the supplementary offerings, which opti implements together with its partners in the industry. This makes it possible for visitors to expand their knowledge through specialist lectures at the opti FORUM and by exchanging their views with experts from around the world, as guests from every continent attend the International Trade Show for Optics & Design.

The opti SHOWCASE, an interactive discovery area in Hall C4, will once again focus on a key topic for the industry. “It should look to the future, offering new ideas and proposals,” explains opti project manager Bettina Reiter. She also reveals: “After the highly digital depiction of the customer journey at opti 2019, it will be a more emotional topic this time.” The focus on practical relevance will not change: visitors should be able to directly implement their newly acquired knowledge in their business and consequently continue to benefit from the opti SHOWCASE after the trade show.

Dohr: “The expansion has done the trade show good”Once again, opti will take place in six halls (C1 to C6). “The expansion in 2019, even if it came with higher costs, has done the fair good,” Dieter Dohr is convinced. There was more space. New exhibitors who were already on the waiting list could be integrated, and the exhibitors’ impressive exhibition stands were even more effective. opti was also able to take into account the desire for more areas to accommodate the foot traffic, for example, with wider aisles, lounges and relaxation areas. That's the way it should be at opti 2020.

New: In 2020 trade show visitors will enter the halls via the Entrance North-West and Entrance North-East. The north entrance will be reserved exclusively for use by exhibitors and service partners. Shuttle buses from metro stops “Messestadt West” and “Messestadt Ost” and the airport shuttle will stop at the Entrance North-East. This will be significantly upgraded as a result of a new entrance which will extend into Hall C6, according to opti project manager Bettina Reiter: “We have taken away many valuable suggestions from numerous discussions and meetings during and after the trade show, which we will implement at the next event.”

The division of the halls by department remains unchanged for eyeglass frame manufacturers in Halls C1 to C3. Suppliers of contact lenses, IT, refraction and diagnostics as well as low vision will be displayed in Hall C6. Eyeglass frame manufacturers and machinery producers will exhibit their products in Hall C5. In-patient ophthalmological business and the transfer of knowledge are the focus of Hall C4. This section revolves around shop fittings and design, workshop equipment/tools, merchandise such as spectacle cords, chains and cases, care and cleaning products, display cabinets and displays as well as all offerings surrounding marketing and business equipment. Hall C4 will also represent the whole area of knowledge transfer, including the opti FORUM, opti SHOWCASE and opti CAMPUS, where ophthalmological educational institutions are represented.

New marketplace assists in trade show preparationThe new online marketplace, an expanded index of exhibitors on the opti website, is helping with preparation for the trade show. Here visitors will find lots of information about exhibitors and their products in advance of the fair along with hall and stand numbers and the details for their points of contact. There is also an improved search function and the opportunity to make connections and arrange appointments before the start of the trade show.

About optiopti is the International Trade Show for Optics & Design, which take places annually in January. It offers trade professionals the complete optical spectrum from spectacle frames to lenses, contact lenses, refraction, diagnostics and low vision as well as shop fittings and technical equipment. This makes opti the platform for product launches from both international market leaders and start-ups. Since 2008 the trade show has been organised by the GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. It took place for the first time in 1998. From 2021 opti will alternate between Stuttgart (2021, 2023, 2025) and Munich (2020, 2022, 2024).